Unauthorized Boots, why do SM keep wearing them?

I think the uniform emphasis has decreased for two reasons. 1) Due to all of the uniform changes over the last decade, leaders have become tired of it. Multiple uniforms, boots, IBA rules, PT belts on FOBs, etc. As long as soldiers don't look completely crazy most leaders have better things to do with their time. 2) This funny thing called war has been going on and people actually had to fight in what they were wearing. Even senior leaders spent time in kit patrolling and meeting senior indigenous leaders. During this time they realized that a lot of these unauthorized boots are really comfortable, a lot more comfortable than the cheaper issued boots. I think this is the biggest reason you see a lot of leaders looking the other way. They can't look their soldiers in the face and tell them to wear that boot over there just because its authorized. We all like to take care of our feet...its a day 1 basic training task.

Long story short in my opinion, their leaders allow them to without consequences or because their leaders themselves are wearing them!

In the Marines we didn't really have this problem. If the boots didn't have the Egale, Globe and Anchor stamped on the outside of the heel, then they aren't authorized!

If they are unauthorized then DON,T SELL THEM ON POST! Not at the PX , Not at Clothing and Sales. That way they will have to go off post to get them! then you know if the troop bought them at the Clarksville US Cav they aint right! Bam problem solved. Oh wait that makes sense.

Personally, I feel that the regs are too tight for boots. COLOR for uniformity.... brand?! Not so much. Lets face it, there are LOTS of boot/footgear makers that make some really good stuff. WHY should troops that need to have good foot gear not be allowed to find the boots that fit the best, provide the best support, and are most comfortable for their INDIVIDUAL FOOT not be allowed to find their footgear? So, AAFES doesn't have to sell all types..... but as long as they meet color requirements, let it be.

There are some excellent points made in some of the comments. I agree that comfortable boots are important however, regulations are regulations. Should we change or improve some regulations, yeah we probably should but, until they change they must be enforced. Most of the companies that make these boots have made an "AR 670-1 authorized" boot to replace the ones shown in the picture. Nike for example replaced the unauthorized leather with authorized cattle leather and they are still comfortable.

Comfort is important but durability is more important. If your Soldiers are walking patrol in raggedy ass boots on the third month of a nine month deployment, there is a problem. NCOs should be enforcing the standard and showing their Soldiers that there are comfortable boots that meet the standard.

I see several reasons for this.
1) Leaders aren't aware of all of the "unauthorized boots", as there's a s-ton of them floating around in stores. Some of the boots in the photo would set off the "something's not right" alarm, just by the color/shade of the boot - but there's several out there that are the right color of tan (and I suppose even the coyote brown color for the new OCP) and hard to distinguish from authorized and unauthorized. It's easy to call out a Soldier on unauthorized gear when the color isn't right or something stands out as not normal - but not every unauthorized boot does.

2) I haven't been on a military base for almost a year - but I recall the PX/military clothing & sales having boots for sale that weren't authorized. That's part of the problem with Joe - if it's at clothing & sales, it must be authorized? Hopefully this has been or is in the midst of being corrected, as clothing & sales shouldn't carry anything that isn't authorized and even for the commercial geardo stores within the PX - they shouldn't be authorized to sell unauthorized clothing items either imo.

In the end, it's on the leaders and the individuals themselves to ensure they adhere to standards. So the blame is equal imo.

I brief my Soldiers about all the variations of boots. I actually took pictures of all the boots sold at the local PX and Patriot Outfitter store on post. If I am going to make a 200+ dollar purchase out of my pocket I would want to ensure that they are authorized for the uniform. NCO's especially should be counseling their Soldiers on what is and what is not authorized. Due to all the variations of manufacturers it can be somewhat confusing but a few minutes of research can answer all your questions.

In my mind, it comes down to lack of leadership and maybe a lack of a clear standard. As an NCO/ SNCO, you have responsibility to ensure that not only your people meet all regulations, but yourself as well. In the case you sited, leadership was not happening. As an outsider looking in, it seems as if the Army's standard for footwear is not clear. If you have to show a slide containing examples of what is NOT authorized, then the standard is not clear. One idea is to give them a list of what is authorized, and ensure the PX/ BX only stocks those choices in the uniform shop.

I'm guilty of this one. Back in the day we wore jungle boots in CONUS because they were much more comfortable. And yes, we used the zipper inserts too. The general thinking was if they were sold in the uniform shop, you were good to go. I also wore non-issue Danners much later in life simply because they came in EE which "official" didn't come in. They kept the water out better too. My take it's one thing that gets scrutinized more when you're not deployed. I will have to say, anything not looking good would get dinged. As a Skipper, I left enlisted uniform issues up to the SEL and officers to the XO.

It's interesting looking at the pictured list that the boots shown are "bedroom slipper" versions of real durable and safe boots. That type would not pass the SEL or XO test. Seabees also purchased specialty boots that made work in their trade safer like corks. You want to break new boots in Stateside before counting on them in the badlands.